Mentor family settles carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit

A Mentor family has settled a lawsuit that claimed a local company caused them to get carbon monoxide poisoning by improperly installing their new furnace.

Denise and Patrick Eustace filed a suit in August 2012 in Lake County Common Pleas Court against Mentor-based Anderson Heating-Cooling Inc. claiming:

Anderson sold them a new Lennox energy-efficient furnace on Feb. 22, 2011, but did not properly install it. This resulted in high levels of carbon monoxide, which leaked through the combustion chamber and/or flue-gas pathway.

Company officials inspected the furnace several times. Although it continued to leak, they assured the family it was safe.

Advertisement

In the weeks following the installation, Denise Eustace began to suffer daily headaches, nausea, loss of balance, memory loss and facial twitching. She was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning and has suffered permanent vision deterioration.

Her husband and daughter also suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The family sought more than $150,000 in damages and a jury trial before Judge Eugene A. Lucci.

Roy Anderson, owner of the heating company, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Anderson attorney James E. Featherstone declined comment other than to say details of the settlement are confidential.

Family attorney Paul Grieco said the case was “resolved amicably for both sides.”